Last Thursday I reported on Savannah's need to upgrade some water treatment facilities because of tightening regulations.

The next morning a familiar voice on my answering machine indicated there was an error in the story. The creek into which the Crossroads facility out by the airport dumps should be called Augustine Creek, not St. Augustine Creek as I had cited. There is a St. Augustine Creek, but it's on the other side of the county, said a voice that could have only been Hugh Golson.

To promote backyard gardening, and because he's just generally a sweet guy, Robert Johnson will be giving away collard seedlings beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday at the site of the old St. Pius X School, 701 E. Anderson Street. He'll be there until his 1,000 seedlings run out at about five per taker."I'm going to give them some instructions," said Johnson, who with his brother organizes a yearly collard festival and give-away at the Promised Land Farm in Port Wentworth. They're very easy to grow."

Is fresh water "wasted" if it flows out of Thurmond Dam, downstream past Savannah and into the ocean? That seems to be the argument from some folks who live around the dam and want to see higher water levels around their waterfront homes.

A reader sent me a press release from a group called "Save Our Lakes Now" that asserts that water that makes it to the ocean "does no one any good." That would be news to a host of coastal fishermen who depend on proper salinity levels for critters like crabs and shrimp to flourish.

Two river cleanups are coming up and one even offers the free use of a kayak to spur on some green cleaning. Students who need community service volunteer hours may want to participate. I've been to the Hayner's Creek event and it's a good time to get your feet wet (so to speak) kayaking while doing a good deed.

The third annual Identity Safe Data Destruction Day will take place 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Chatham County Resource Conservation and Education Center, 1321 Eisenhower Drive. Chatham County is partnering with Shredex to help protect residents from identity theft by providing on-site shredders for sensitive documents. All shredded paper will be recycled. Old electronics, such as computers, will also be accepted for recycling during this event; identifying information will be wiped from hard drives. The event is free and open to the public.

The summer may belong to sea turtles along the coast of Georgia -- especially last summer when they nested in record numbers -- but the winter's most spectacular visitor here is arguably the right whale.

NOAA Fisheries Service issued a reminder today that North Atlantic right whale calving season begins in mid-November and runs through mid-April.

It didn't take long for this osprey to find the new nesting platform just installed on Johnny Mercer Blvd. by Turner's Creek. Boy Scout Joshua Johnson spent months getting the permits and permission needed -- along with donations -- to erect a more suitable new home for a pair of osprey nesting near a live wire. It went up late last month as an Eagle Scout project.